Detroit Medical Center lab assistants hold rally amid contract talks
(CBS DETROIT) – The union representing lab assistants at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) held a rally for what they call a fair contract.
For 14 years, Valerie Dodson has worked as a lab assistant at DMC.
"My goal was to work at a hospital and specifically Receiving because they saved my grandmother's life. And I always wanted to help do the same thing in return," Dodson said.
She usually collects and prepares specimens from patients for all kinds of lab tests, including COVID-19, but on Wednesday, she joined a handful of members from Teamster Local 283 to raise awareness of their working conditions.
"We're not even asking them for a lot. We're asking them for what we deserve. We worked throughout the pandemic. They refuse to give us any type of pandemic pay," Dodson said.
The union president, Steve Hicks, says members have been without a contract since it expired on December 31, 2022.
"Our demands are $1.50 for 2023 and a 3% raise in 2024 and 2025, which are very fair. Most people in the area are receiving anywhere from $2 to $8 raises, and they can't hire employees at this present time with the wages they're presenting: $16.96. They need to go up to a living wage for 2023," Hicks told CBS News Detroit.
He adds the hospital system is refusing to bargain over health insurance.
"They've raised the cost of their health insurance, their copay to the employees to anywhere between 35% to 65% depending on the plan that they pick from the DMC," Hicks said.
Dodson wishes talks between the union and hospital leadership would be more productive.
"At least communicate with us, actually negotiate, don't go sit in the caucus room and do nothing," Dodson said.
The union has already voted to strike if an agreement is not reached soon.
The DMC released the following statement in response:
We value all of our employees represented by the Teamsters.
We are currently negotiating with the union, bargaining in good faith to reach an agreement on a contract covering the Lab Assistants, Senior Lab Assistants and Customer Service Representatives.
As we have throughout the negotiating process, we remain focused on providing high quality patient care to our community.